Animal shocking device



May 5', 1959 E. G. MUELLER ANIMAL SHOCKING DEVICE Filed July 6. 1954INVENTOR.

ERNEST G. MUELLER ATTORN YS United States Patent 1 2,885,610 ANIMALSHBCKING DEVICE Ernest G. Mueller, St. Clair Shores, Mich. ApplicationJuly 6, 1954, Serial No. 441,527 Claims. (Cl. 317-262) This inventionrelates to a device for ridding certain designated areas of animals, andmore particularly to an animal shocking device.

One object of this invention is to provide an animal shocking device,for keeping animals away from designated areas which may, for example,have shrubbery, flowers, etc., that might otherwise be damaged by suchanimals.

Another object of the invention is to provide an animal shocking devicewhich is composed of a relatively few inexpensive parts, which isportable, durable and which will accomplish its intended functionwithout physically harming the animal.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

The single figure is a central vertical sectional view of an animalshocking device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the animal shockingdevice there illustrated comprises a base or support it) which iscircular and constructed of electrically insulating material. The devicealso includes a housing 12 which issupported on the base and whichcooperates with the latter to define a chamber for containing thevarious other elements of the device. The housing is dome-shaped andincludes the upper hemispherical portion 14 which merges into the lowercylindrical portion 16, the lower margin of the cylindrical portionbeing supported by an annular lip 13 extending about the outer peripheryof the base. Preferably the cylindrical portion of the housing isdimensioned to have a rather snug fritcional engagement with the annularouter surface or wall of the base so that while normally the housing isfirmly secured upon the base, the same may be manually separatedtherefrom without undue effort. Other securing means, preferablyreleasable, may, of source, be provided.

The housing is made of a suitable electrically conducting material, andsupported within the housing is an ordinary dry cell battery 22. As willbe seen in the drawing, the lower terminal 24 of the battery rcstsdirectly upon the upper curved end of the vertical post 26, the latterbeing formed of electrically conducting material and having a flange 28at the lower end secured to the base by an ordinary screw 38.

Compressed between the upper terminal 32 of the battery and the top ofthe housing is a coil spring preferably of conical shape as shown. Theconcave surface of the housing engaged by the spring resists anytendency of the spring to slip laterally. it will be seen that thebattery is thus firmly supported within the housing by the coopeartiveaction of the post 26 and the coil spring 34.

An induction coil 36 is also supported in the housing being carried by acasing 37 suitably fastened to the base 10. The induction coil includesa primary winding 38, one end of which is electrically connected to thepost 26 by a lead 4! and the other end of which is electricallyconnected to a contact 42 by a lead 44. Contact 42 is secured to thebase by an ordinary screw 46, and in spaced relation to the contact 42is a second contact 48 which is also secured to the base by an ordinaryscrew 59. Terminal 54 of contact 48 is vertically spaced from contact42.

An elongated resilient spring or switch member 52 has one end rigidlysecured to contact 42 and the switch member 52 extends verticallytherefrom close to but in laterally spaced relation to terminal 54 ofcontact 48. Preferably the upper end of switch member 52 carries aweighted mass 56 to amplify the vibrations of the switch member 52 whenthe device is jarred or bumped so that the switch member willmomentarily contact the terminal 54 as it vibrates. Switch member 52 isa flat leaf spring capable of flexing in one direction only and isdisposed for flexing toward and away from terminal 54. Contact 48 iselectrically connected to the housing by a resilient member 58 securedto the contact.

The induction coil has a secondary winding 60 one end of which iselectrically connected to the housing by a resilient member 62 and theother end of which is connected by a lead 64 to the plate 66. A metalnail or stake 68, having electrical contact with plate 66, extendsthrough the base and projects downwardly therefrom for insertion intothe ground. The stake may comprise the sole means for supporting thedevice on the ground, if desired. Embossments 70 are provided inangularly spaced relation about the stake to support the base fromslipping down upon the stake, and a suitable nut 72 is threaded on theupper end of the stake and also serves to clamp plate 66 against thebase, said plate having a suitable aperture for receiving the stake.

A circuit through the primary winding, herein referred to as the primarycircuit, is completed whenever the switch member vibrates into contactwith the terminal 54. The primary circuit extends from terminal 24 ofthe battery through post 26, lead 40, primary winding 38, lead 44,contact 42, switch member 52, contact 48, member 58, housing 12, andfrom the housing to ter minal 32 of the battery through the coil spring34. In order to close the primary circuit then, it is necessary to causethe switch member to swing against terminal 54, and in the operation ofthis device, this action of the switch member is obtained as the resultof jarring of the device incident to an animal bumping thereagainst.

It will also be noted that feelers 74 are secured to the housing, thesefeelers being of electrically conducting material and projectingoutwardly from the housing for contact with the body of an animal. Thefeelers are sufiiciently rigid so that when bumped by an animal theentire device is shaken sufficiently to cause the switch member tovibrate with suflicient amplitude to close the primary circuit.

The making or breaking of the primary circuit sets up a current in thesecondary winding 60 of the induction coil. The secondary winding iselectrically connected to the housing at one end and to the stake 68 atthe other end. Since the stake is placed in the ground and the animalwhich causes the vibration of the device is standing on the ground andtouching the housing or a feeler, the secondary circuit through thesecondary winding is thus completed through the animals body.

The battery and induction coil are, of course, designed to produce aninduced current of such magnitude as to cause the animal to flee, butwithout doing any physical harm. The battery may be readily replacedwhen necessary by merely removing the housing 12 from the base 10.

One or more of the devices described above may be placed in the groundin the area desired to be protected from animals. Any animal which bumpsor brushes against the device and jars it to cause vibrations of theswitch member of sufficient amplitude to close the primary circuit, willreceive a shock from the secondary winding of the induction coil.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description ofthe improved animal shocking device in such full, clear, concise andexact terms as to enable anyone skilled in the art to practice theinvention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An animal shocking device comprising a housing of electricallyconducting material, a battery supported within said housing, meansproviding an electrical connection between said housing and one terminalof said battery, an induction coil supported within said housing andincluding a primary winding, means electrically connecting one end ofsaid primary winding to the other terminal of said battery, meansproviding an electrical connection between the other end of said primarywinding and said housing including a switch having a pair of spacedcontacts normally maintaining said circuit open and being rigid withsaid housing, an elongated resilient electrically conductive switchmember rigidly secured at one end to one of said contacts and normallyspaced from the other contact to maintain said circuit open butengageable with said other contact when flexed as a result of an animalbumping against said housing to close said circuit, said induction coilincluding a secondary winding having one end electrically connected tosaid housing, and a stake of electrically conducting material projectingbeneath said housing for insertion in the ground being electricallyinsulated from said housing and electrically connected to the other endof said secondary coil, the closing of said circuit energizing saidprimary Winding and producing a current in said secondary winding byinduction.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said switch member isweighted at the free end.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 in which the means providing anelectrical connection between said housing and one terminal of saidbattery comprises a coil spring compressed therebetween.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 including feelers of electricallyconducting material electrically connected to said housing andprojecting outwardly therefrom for contact with the body of an animal.

5. An animal shocking device comprising a housing of electricallyconducting material, a battery supported within said housing, meansproviding an electrical connection between said housing and one terminalof said battery, an induction coil supported within said housing andincluding a primary Winding, means electrically connecting one end ofsaid primary winding to the other terminal of said battery, meansproviding an electrical connection between the other end of said primarywinding and said housing including a switch having a pair of verticallyspaced contacts normally maintaining said circuit opening and beingrigid with said housing, an elongated re silient electrically conductiveswitch member having one end secured to one of said contacts andextending vertical- 1y therefrom in normally laterally spaced relationto the other of said contacts to maintain said circuit open butengageable with said other contact when flexed as a result of an animalbumping against said housing to close said circuit, said induction coilincluding a secondary winding having one end electrically connected tosaid housing, and a stake of electrically conducting material projectingbeneath said housing for insertion in the ground being electricallyinsulated from said housing and electrically connected to the other endof said secondary coil, the closing of said circuit energizing saidprimary winding and producing a current in said secondary winding byinduction.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 in which said switch member is a flatleaf spring capable of flexing in one plane only and being disposed sothat flexing thereof is in a direction toward and away from said othercontact.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 in which said switch member isweighted at the free end, and in which feelers of electricallyconducting material are electrically com nected to said housing andproject laterally outwardly therefrom for contact with the body of ananimal.

8. An animal shocking device comprising a housing of electricallyconducting material, a source of electromotive force supported withinsaid housing, and means for electrically connecting said housing to saidsource of electromotive force to impress the output of said source ofelectromotive force upon said housing comprising a normally open switchwithin said housing having spaced contacts and an electricallyconductive resilient switch member adapted to vibrate and momentarilybridge said contacts to close said switch in response to the impact ofan animal brushing against said housing, said contacts being verticallyspaced and said switch member having one end secured to one contact andextending vertically therefrom in normally laterally spaced relation tothe other contact, said switch member being a fiat leaf spring capableof flexing in one plane only and being disposed so that flexing thereofis in a direction toward and away from said other contact, and feelersof electrically conducting material projecting laterally outwardly fromsaid housing and electrically connected to the latter.

9. An animal shocking device comprising a support of electricallyinsulating material, an induction coil mounted on said support andhaving primary and secondary windings, a first member of electricallyconducting material projecting from said support adapted for contactwith the body of an animal, a second member of electrically conductingmaterial carried by said support for contact with the ground, meanselectrically connecting opposite ends of said secondary winding to saidrespective first and second members, a primary circuit including inseries a battery mounted on said support, said primary winding, and anelectrical switch, said switch having a pair of contents mounted on saidsupport in spaced relation, and an electrically conductive resilientswitch member secured to one of said contacts and normally spaced fromthe other contact to maintain said primary circuit open but engageablewith said other contact when flexed as a result of an animal bumpingagainst said first member and jarring said support to close saidcircuit, the closing of said primary circuit energizing said primarywinding and producing a current in said secondary winding by induction,said second member comprising a stake insertable into the ground andconstituting the sole means for supporting said device.

10. An animal shocking device comprising a housing of electricallyconducting material, a source of electromotive force supported withinsaid housing, and means for electrically connecting said housing to saidsource of electromotive force to impress the output of said source ofelectromotive force upon said housing comprising a normally open switchwithin said housing having spaced contacts and an electricallyconductive resilient switch member adapted to be jarred to vibration andrapidly, successively bridge said contacts to close said switch inresponse to the single impact of an animal brushing against saidhousing, said contacts being vertically spaced, said switch memberhaving one end secured to one contact and extending vertically therefromin normally laterally spaced relation to the other contact, and saidswitch member being a flat leaf spring capable of flexing in one planeonly and being disposed so that flexing thereof is in a direction towardand away from said other contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS765,926 Kelly July 26, 1904 1,602,103 De Moulin Oct. 5, 1926 1,984,012Orenthe Dec. 11, 1934 2,010,603 McClintock Aug. 6, 1935 2,185,950 RoseJan. 2, 1940 2.510,337 Franklin June 6, 1950

